Controlling apparatus for railway appliances.



No. 892,636. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

H. C. WILLIAMS & P. B. HARRINGTON. CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYAPPLIANCES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1' Fig. l

WJTA/Z55E5/ INYENTUHS HIHAM C! WJLLIAME.

HANDLE E. AHH WGTUNI 3% m ATTY PATENTED JULY 7, 1908. H. U. WILLIAMS &P.'B. HARRINGTON.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOVA, 1907.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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IAZYENTUH 5 HJHAM CZ WILLIAM. m S m FRANCIS B. EZIHHINGTUZSZ.

,wmw WW ATT'Y.

UNI ED STA. was PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM C. WILLIAMS, OF IlTIOA, AND FRANCIS B. HARRINGTON, OF ALBANY, NEWYORK, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

\1\ .7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,646.

' To all whom it may concern:

terlocked levers for controlling railway aphances, and its object is toprovide a timeimit device for insuring a certain interval between theoperation of certain of the levers.

Such a time-interval is es ecially desirable between the operation ofevers controlling respectively a slgnal and a switch, in order the flowof fluid from one c that the switch may not be thrown without givingsuflicient warning to an approaching tram, by properly setting the sigmaa certain le th of time before the switch is thrown.

ur invention consists in providing a timelimit circuit-closer operatedby one of the levers, and comprising a receptacle containing aconducting fluid and having two chambers joined by .a restricted oening, so that liamber to the other is retarded, and circuit-terminalsin one chamber in circuit with an electromagnet controlling a lock foranother of the levers.

Our invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fi ure 1 shows diagrammatically a pair of inter ockedlevers provided with time-limit controlling means arranged in accordancewith our invention; Fig. 2 shows a front elevation, partly incross-section, of the timelimit circu1t-closer; and Fig. 3 shows asideelevation .of the same.

In Fig. 1, A and B represent a pair of levers interlocked in the usualmanner by suitable apparatus, indicated diagrammaticallyat O. Drepresents asignal controlled by the lever A, and E a switch controlledby the lever B. F represents a time-limit circuit-closer, which isoperativel connected to the lever A by a rack a, whic is moved by thelever and a pinion f on the circuit-closer. The circuit-closer isrotatably mounted so that when lever,A is shifted, raising or lowering'the rack 11, the circhit-closer" is rotated. This circuit-closer F-is'constructed, as will be hereinafter described, so that-a certaininterval elapses between this movement and the closing of its circuit. Grepresents an electromagnet in circuit with the device F controlling alock for the lever B. H represents the usual track-relay, which maycontrol the slot mechanism J of the lever A, indicated diagrammaticallyat signal D, and also controls the lock-magnet G jointly with the deviceF, so that the lever B cannot be thrown when a train occu ies thetracksection to which the rela is connected.

In Fig. 1, the switch 1% is thrown for the main track, and the signal Dstands at clear. If the operator desires to throw the switch. for asiding, he must first throw the lever A so as to set the signal D atdanger, in order :that the lever B may be unlocked by the interlockingmechanism C. After the lever, A is thrown to set the si nal D at danger,the lever B cannot immediatel be shifted, because the circuit-closer Foes not immediately close its circuit when the lever .A is shifted. Acertain time elapses before the circuit of the magnet G is closed so asto cause the magnet to unlock the lever B, and this time-interval eitherenables a train to stop at the signal D, or, if it is already passingthe signal, to denergize the relay H, so as to prevent the magnet G frombeing ener ized, and to protectitself from having lever B thrown beneathits wheels.

The construction of the time-limit circuitcloser is shown in Figs. 2 and3. The casing, or fitting, F of the circuit-closer is rotatabl mounted,and contains a receptacle K. aapted to contain mercury. This receptacle,which may be secured within the casing b cement, as indicated in Fig. 2,has two chambers, which are joined by a large openin or s out It, and arestricted opening 7c. Wlmen t e receptacle K is rotated'clockwisethrough ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2, the mercurypasses from the left-hand chamber through the openin or spout 10 intothe right-hand chamber. lhis opening is large enough so that thetransfer o cle through the restricted opening k. his

by Letters Patent of the 0 ening is so small that a considerable time capses before suificient mercury can flow into the left-hand receptacleto connect the circuit-terminals L. These circuit-terminals may beconnected to the opposite halves of the casing or fitting F if thesehalves are insulated as indicate by the insulating ring M of Fig. 3, andif the outer bearing for the fitting is also insulated'from thesupporting bracket, as indicated at m in Figs. 2 and 3. By thisconstruction'the necessity of em loying sliding contacts or. flexiblelead s is avoided, and binding-posts O 0 may be employed for connectingthe device in circuit.

Certain of the structural details of the circuit-closer, abovedescribed,we do not claim as our invention, the scope of which is pointed out inthe annexed claims.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure United States, is,-

1. In combination with a plurality of 'interlocked levers forcontrolling railway appliances, a time-limit circuit closer comprising areceptacle containing a conducting fluid and having two chambers joinedby a restricted opening through W -ch said fluid passes when saldreceptacle is moved from one of its positions to the other, andcircuitterminals in one of saidchambers, operative connections betweenone of said levers and said circuit-closer whereby said receptacle ismoved when said lever is shifted, an electromagnet in circuit with saidcircuit-closer,and means controlled by said electromagnet for lockinganother of said levers.

2. In combination with a plurality of interlocked levers for controllingrailway appliances, a time-limit circuit-closer comprising a receptaclecontaining a conducting fluid and havin two chambers joinedby a largeopening an a restricted opening through which respectively the fluidpasses when said receptacle is moved in opposite directions, and

circuit-terminals in one of said chambers, op-

erative connections between one of said levers and said circuit-closerwhereby said receptacle is moved when said lever is shifted,aneletromagnet in circuit with said circuit-closer, and means controlledby said electromagnet for locking another of said levers.

3. In combination with a plurality of in terlocked levers forcontrolling railway appliances, a rotatably mounted fittingoperativelyconnected to one of said levers, a recep tacle adapted tocontain mercury carried by said fitting and having two chambers joinedby a restricted assage, and circuit-terminals in one of said 0 ambers,an electromagnet in circuit with said terminals, and means controlled bysaid electromagnet for looking another of said levers.

4. Incombination with a plurality of interlocked levers for controllingrailway appliances, a rotatably mounted fitting opera tively connectedto one of said levers, a receptacle adapted to contain .mercury carriedby said fitting and having two chambers joined by a large and arestricted passage, and circuit-terminals in one of said chambers, an

Y electromagnet in circuit with said terminals,

and means controlled'by said elcctromagnet for locking another of saidleve'i-s.

In Witness whereof, HIRAM'C. WILLIAMS has hereunto-set his hand vember,1907, and F RANGIS B. HARRINGTON has hereunto set his hand this firstdav o November, 1907.

HIRAM C. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

F. E. 'HALL, L. SECOR.

FRANCIS B. HARRINGTON.

this first day of N o-

